Ştefan Golescu

Ştefan Golescu (1809—1874) was a Wallachian Romanian politician who served as a Prime Minister of Romania between 26 November 1867 and 12 May 1868.

Biography

Born in a boyar family of the Goleşti, he studied with his brothers (Nicolae and Radu) in Switzerland. After he returned, he joined the Wallachian Army and became a major in 1836. With his brother he also joined the Philharmonic Society, a society similar to the Freemasonry.

Ştefan was involved in the triggering of the 1848 Wallachian revolution, participating in the Islaz gathering of June 9, 1848, when he became a member of the Provisional Government, serving as Minister of Justice.

During the writing of the new constitution, Ştefan Golescu supported Nicolae Bălcescu's idea of universal suffrage, while his brother, Nicolae, favoured less expansive participation. Ştefan was part of the delegation sent by the revolutionaries to Istanbul to negotiate the new constitution with the Ottoman Empire, Wallachia's overlord.

Ştefan Golescu was a member of the Wallachian assembly that elected Alexander John Cuza as prince of both Wallachia and Moldavia (1859). Afterwards, he was a member of the Liberal Party of Ion Brătianu and served for about half a year as Prime Minister of Romania in a Liberal government.